What practice helps prevent seagrass damage?

• A. Knowing your vessel's operating draft and navigating in marked channels
• B. Anchoring in the middle of channels
• C. Raising engine throttle in shallow water
• D. Operating with no charts

Answer: (A)

Knowing your vessel’s operating draft and navigating in marked channels keeps you in deeper, designed-for-navigation waters, which protects seagrass beds from hull, propeller, and anchor damage. Seagrass is a shallow, living habitat that can be easily torn or scarred by contact with a boat or its gear, and staying in marked channels helps you avoid those fragile areas. Using depth information and charts allows you to plan routes that avoid shallow pockets where seagrass may grow, reducing disturbance and sediment disturbance. Options that involve anchoring in the middle of channels, raising throttle in shallow water, or operating without charts don’t provide the safe, depth-aware guidance needed to prevent seagrass damage.